The new Realme 2 Pro challenges the Xiaomi Mi A2 and Nokia 6.1 Plus with its strong specification list and competitive pricing.

The online-first smartphone segment in India is particularly competitive in the mid-range, and buyers looking for smartphones priced at under Rs 20,000 have plenty of capable options to choose from. And while some brands are typically associated with a price advantage, the last few months have seen some surprises with new brands emerging as price champions. One such offering is the Realme 2 Pro, which is the most affordable device in India to sport 8GB of RAM.

We’ve compared the new Realme 2 Pro with the Xiaomi Mi A2 and Nokia 6.1 Plus. The three phones are priced at under Rs 20,000 and come with similar specifications and software, apart from being online-focused offerings. Take a look at our comparison.

WATCH: How Realme phones are made

Design

While all three devices have tall aspect ratios and big screens, the actual screen design varies considerably on the three phones. The Xiaomi Mi A2 has a somewhat more traditional 18:9 6-inch IPS LCD screen with no notch at the top. The Nokia 6.1 Plus has a smaller 5.8-inch 19:9 IPS LCD screen with a standard notch, while the Realme 2 Pro has the largest screen here – a 6.3-inch IPS LCD screen with a 19:9 aspect ratio and a waterdrop notch.

When it comes to build, there are big differences as well. The Xiaomi Mi A2 once again goes with a more traditional approach, with a metal unibody construction. The Nokia 6.1 Plus uses a combination of glass at the back sandwiching the metal frame, while the Realme 2 Pro has an all-plastic construction that is glossy at the back to resemble glass.

Image Credit: Rehan Hooda

Specifications and Price

The Realme 2 Pro has a considerable advantage here, particularly considering the price of the phone. You get 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage priced at Rs 13,990, 6GB RAM and 64GB storage at Rs 15,990, or 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage at Rs 17,990, making it the most affordable device available today with 8GB of RAM. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC, and has a 3,500mAh battery inside. Unfortunately though, there is no fast charging capability on the device.

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In comparison, the Xiaomi Mi A2 is also powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 SoC, but with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage on the only variant currently available in India, priced at Rs 16,999. With the ongoing Amazon Great Indian Sale, the Xiaomi Mi A2 is selling for Rs 14,999, which is a good price considering the overall package that you get.

The phone has a 3,000mAh battery, and supports up to the Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 standard in India. The Nokia 6.1 Plus is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC and sports 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage in its single variant, priced at Rs 15,999, and comes with a 3,060mAh battery. All three smartphones come with fingerprint sensors for biometric authentication.

Software

While all three smartphones here run on Android 8.1 Oreo, the Realme 2 Pro sports the heavy ColorOS skin on top. The UI is single-layered, and comes with a fair amount of bloatware as well. The Xiaomi Mi A2 and Nokia 6.1 Plus are both Android One devices, and run stock Android as a result. This also gives them the potential advantage of a faster roll-out of new software, although neither of the two phones have been updated to Android 9.0 Pie yet.

Camera

All three phones here sport dual-camera setups at the back, and high-resolution front cameras. The Realme 2 Pro comes with a 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual-camera setup at the rear, and a 16-megapixel front camera. Both cameras have bokeh effects for portrait shots, with the front camera achieving the effect through software. The front camera also allows face unlocking.

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The Xiaomi Mi A2 sports a 12-megapixel + 20-megapixel rear camera setup which allows both depth-effect shots and up to 2X lossless zoom, and a 20-megapixel front camera. The Nokia 6.1 Plus has a 16-megapixel + 5-megapixel dual-camera setup at the back, and a 16-megapixel front camera.